


An Unexpected Gift

by Deepspacedust



Category: Gifted (Movie 2017)
Genre: ??? - Freeform, Angst, Babies, Baby, Birth, Blended family, Captain America - Freeform, Childbirth, Complicated Relationships, Emotional Hurt, Eventual Smut, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Frank and Bonnie have a baby, Loss, Love, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Pregnancy, Pregnant Sex, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, Talk of Abortion, Talk of Suicide, Unplanned Pregnancy, but it's Chris Evans, gifted AU, love making, not really - Freeform, post gifted au, so kinda
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-11 23:37:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17456447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deepspacedust/pseuds/Deepspacedust
Summary: This story takes place immediately following the end of the events of the Movie Gifted. Frank and Bonnie's one night stand results in some unexpected repercussions. Both are left grappling with decisions they never expected to make.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I've decided to write a story about Frank Adler and Bonnie Stevenson because I love these two characters and the relationship between the two of them. I hope you all enjoy it. There will definitely be more chapters to come!

                                                             

 

 

**Chapter 1**

 

Bonnie closed her eyes and let the warmth of the sun soak into her skin. She took a deep breath, her stomach only now beginning to settle after this mornings fiasco, which had involved a bowl of dry Cheerios, a valiant attempt to keep them down, and an intimate encounter with her toilet bowl. For the third morning in a row, she had woken up to an overwhelming wave of nausea that she had chalked up to a bug that had been slowly moving it’s way through the school. Thankfully, to her relief, her afternoon was shaping up to be considerably better than her morning had been. 

She let her eyes scan the playground, the excited screams and laughter of the children filling the air around her, finally letting her attention come to rest on the cluster of Girl Scouts to whom she was the troop leader. Just then, she saw Mary Adler running across the grass towards the other girls, a wide smile plastered across her tiny face, and Bonnie felt her own face break into a smile at the sight of her. She turned her gaze toward the road to see Franks old blue truck parked along the edge of the grass, the window down, his arm resting against the frame, and a smile of his own spread across his face as he watched Mary run towards her friends. He turned then, his eyes softening as they met Bonnies. Bonnie felt her smile widen as she looked at Frank, and she felt the pace of her heart quicken as their eyes remained locked on one another.

Bonnie was happy for him, and she was happy for Mary. She was glad that the mess and the chaos that has overwhelmed them over the last few months had finally been resolved, and that Mary and Frank were finally back together. She still believed what she had said to him that night on the dock; That although Frank would have been a shitty boyfriend, there was no doubt in her mind that he was an incredible father to Mary. Bonnie let her eyes linger on Franks for a moment longer, her smile only growing. There was an unspoken understanding between the two of them. There were no hard feelings. Just a mutual respect for one another and an appreciation for the time that they had spent together. Things might not have worked out between them romantically, but that didn't mean that they couldn't be cordial to one another. And that certainly didn't mean that, at some point down the line, they couldn’t be friends. 

... 

Later that evening, Bonnie returned to her apartment. Her roommate, Carly, was already home, and judging by the smell of chicken and oven roasted potatoes that was currently filling the air, Carly had already begun cooking dinner. Bonnie normally would have welcomed the sweet gesture her roommate had made if it hadn't been for the surprising wave of nausea that washed over her at the smell of her roommates cooking. 

“Oh God.” Bonnie said, frustrated with the seemingly endless bouts of nausea she was enduring. Carly walked into the kitchen just as Bonnie was closing the front door behind her. Bonnie leaned her back against the apartment door and closed her eyes as she waited for this newest wave of nausea to pass.

“Hey girl!” Carly greeted, unaware of the state of unrest her roommate was currently experiencing. “I made dinner.” She said, before turning to look at Bonnie, her brow furrowing in confusion at the sight of her friend plastered against their apartment door. “You ok, Bon?” Carly asked, moving towards the front door, where Bonnie was still firmly planted. 

Bonnie took a deep breath, willing the nausea to pass without any further discord from her stomach. “Yeah.” She managed to breath. “Just. My stomach. I'm not feeling...” And with that, her stomach turned against her for the second time that day. Bonnie slapped her hand over her mouth, and made a beeline for the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She manage to make it to the toilet just in time for her stomach to empty what little contents it still contained into the porcelain bowl she was currently wrapped around. 

She heard a soft tap at the bathroom door. “Bonnie?” Carly called, her voice soft and concerned. “Are you alright, hun?”

“I’m fine.” Bonnie managed to squeak out. She flushed the toilet, gingerly rose from the floor and moved towards the sink. She turned the tap on, letting the cool water wash over her hands as she watched her reflection in the bathroom mirror, her face paler and clammier than it had been a moment ago. She rinsed her mouth before exiting the bathroom, Carly’s concerned face greeting her on the other side of the door. 

“That’s the third time this week, Bon.” Carly said gently, moving to place a gentle hand on her friends upper back. 

“Fourth.” Bonnie corrected. 

“Why don't you go curl up on the sofa. I’ll bring you some dry crackers and a glass of water.” Bonnie gave her friend an appreciative smile, and moved slowly towards the living room. “I’m sure it’s just a bug.” Bonnie finally managed to say. “It’s been going around the school. I guess It finally found its way to me.” 

“Either that or you’re pregnant.” Carly yelled form the kitchen, her tone clearly indicating that she was joking, but it stopped Bonnie in her tracks all the same.

Just then Carly entered the living room, a plate of crackers in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. She must have seen the panicked look on Bonnies face, because she set the water and crackers down on the end table and moved to sit on the coffee table in front of the sofa where Bonnie was currently perched.

“Bonnie?” Carly said, trying to get her friends attention. Bonnie looked up to meet her friends eyes, the weight of what Carly had just suggested still working its way through her mind. 

“I can't be pregnant.” Bonnie said, a scared little smile finding it’s way to her face.

“It was just a joke!” Carly laughed. “Of course you're not pregnant. You have to have sex to get pregnant, and lord knows neither of us has gotten any action lately.”

There was a beat of silence as the two women sat across from each other. Bonnie closed her eyes, the memories of the night she had spent taking shots of tequila with Frank Adler at Ferg’s, and of the drunken, albeit entertaining, sexual encounter that had followed, came flooding back to her. 

"Oh. Fuck.” Bonnie whispered, her voice barely audible. Bonnie moved her hands to her face, letting her fingers gently rest over her lips, the reality of the situation finally beginning to dawn on her. 

“What?” Carly asked, the previous tone of humour in her voice was now replaced with one of concern.

“I can't be.” Bonnie said, more of a plea to the universe than a statement of fact. “Shit. I can't be.”

Carly looked at her friend, her brow furrowing as she spoke. “When did you last have your period?” Carly asked.

“I can't remember. Maybe a little over a month ago. Maybe more. Oh, shit Carly. I can't remember. How the hell can I not remember when I last had my period?” Bonnie was beginning to panic now. She was usually better at keeping track of her cycle, but the last few months had been chaotic to say the least, and she had somehow managed to let her diligence in that area of her life fall to the way side.

“That’s ok.” Carly soothed, her voice equal parts nervous and reassuring. Her hand had found Bonnies upper arm and was now running up and down it soothingly. “I’m sure you're not pregnant. You're not sleeping with anyone, right? So you can't be. It’s hardly an immaculate conception. It’s probably just stress.”

Bonnie bit her lip, moving her eyes to meet her friends. “Carly.” Bonnie said. “I think I screwed up.”

Carly’s eyes widened as the reality of Bonnie's words hit her, and a simple, “Oh” was all that Carly was able to get out. Each woman sat there for a moment, neither of them speaking, both of them letting the reality of the situation sink in. “Well,” Carly finally said, a nervous smile playing at the corner of her lips. “Good for you.” 

“Carly!” Bonnie almost yelled, “Not good for me. Definitely not good for me. Oh my God, what was I thinking? One rushed decision, and now I might be... I can't even say the word.”

“Pregnant?” Carly finished.

“Thank you.” Bonnie said sarcastically. Her voice sounded as small and as terrified as she felt. 

Another moment of silence passed before Carly asked Bonnie the only other question she could think to ask. “Who?”

Bonnie met her friends gaze before letting her head fall into her hands. “Frank Adler.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Here's the second chapter. I just wanted to preface this one with a bit of an explanation. Carly (Bonnie's roommate) is her coworker (the other teacher that works at the elementary school with Bonnie). I thought that their interaction in the movie was really sweet, and I wanted to explore their friendship a little further. 
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter!

                               

                               

 

 

 

**Chapter 2**

 

 

“Frank Alder!?” Carly cried, the sudden rise in her voice caused Bonnie to jump slightly. Bonnie peeled her face from her hands in order to meet her friends gaze, and much to her confusion, Carly’s expression was more one of impressed amusement than of shock and horror.

“What?” Bonnie said, trying to gauge her friends unexpected response to her most recent admission. 

“Nothing.” Carly said, a small smile finding its way to her lips. “Just. Frank Adler. He’s, ya know...” Carly raised an eyebrow at Bonnie, conveying both her amusement and her amazement at her friends sexual escapade. Bonnie sat in silence, her eyes never leaving her friend's as she waited for her to finish her thought. “He’s... hot, Bonnie. Quiet, damaged hot guy.” Carly smiled, the severity of the situation momentarily lost on her. 

“Carly,” Bonnie said pointedly to her friend. “This is not a good thing. This is a very, very bad thing.” 

Admonished, Carly let her face drop, her expression taking on a more serious guise. “I’m sorry. You're right. I’m sorry, Bon. This is... very... not good. This is, yeah. Bad.” Carly cleared her throat, not knowing what else to say.

“Shit.” Bonnie sighed, letting her face fall back into her hands. “What the hell am I gonna do, Carly?” The room was silent for a moment as both women ruminated on the recent revelation. 

Carly took a deep breath, moving her hand to rest it softly on Bonnie’s shoulder. “There’s only one thing you can do.” She said. “You're gonna have to take a pregnancy test.” 

 

...

 

An hour later, after she had made a trip to the pharmacy, and consumed her weight in cranberry cocktail, Bonnie was back in her apartment, sitting cross-legged on her bed, with three unopened pregnancy tests laid out in front of her. Carly was sitting next to her, her eyes moving between Bonnie and the tests. 

“It’s probably best to just get it over with, hun.” Carly’s sweet Southern drawl soothed. “The sooner you know, the better. No matter what the outcome is.” Bonnie closed her eyes, readying herself for the task at hand. Silently, she gathered all three tests in her hands, and made her way to the bathroom. 

She sat silently on the toilet for what felt like an eternity, her bladder screaming at her for relief. Finally, with shaking hands, and much trepidation, she opened the first test and did what needed to be done. The other two tests followed, and after a moment of anxious contemplation, Bonnie pulled up her pants, washed her hands, and moved back to her bedroom where Carly was still sitting on the bed waiting for her. 

“Well?” Her friend said, her voice more nervous than it had been earlier. 

“I don't know yet. I have to wait three minutes.” 

Time passed slowly, and neither woman spoke. Bonnie wrung her hands together, praying to whatever God was out there that she was not pregnant. The silence was interrupted by the timer that Bonnie had set on her phone. The three minutes were up. The two woman turned to look at one another, the anxiety they were both feeling evident on their faces. Bonnie stood and slowly made her way to the bathroom where the pregnancy tests were still resting on the counter. She closed her eyes when she reached them. She had an inclination of what they were going to tell her, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to accept that reality just yet. With her eyes still closed, she braced her hands against the edge of the bathroom counter, taking slow deep breaths to steady herself.

Silently she told herself that no matter what the tests said, she would be alright. That everything would be fine. That she would figure it out. She would get through this just like she had gotten through every other unexpected event that life had thrown at her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and turned her gaze towards the three tests on the counter in front of her.  

Two of the tests had two very definite pink lines. And if that hadn't been answer enough, the third test left nothing to the imagination. In very clear, unmistakable, black print was the word “pregnant.” 

“Shit.” Bonnie whispered, her eyes closing against the tears that were now threatening to spill. She heard soft footsteps approach from behind her. Carly moved to wrap her arms around Bonnie, letting her chin rest on her friends shoulder. 

“It’s gonna be ok.” Carly soothed. “You hear me, Bon? Everything is gonna be ok. I’ve got your back. No matter what you decide.” Bonnie turned so that she was facing her friend, and let herself fall into Carly’s arms. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel it in her ears, and she couldn't stop the tears that began to fall down her face. 

She had absolutely no idea what to do. 

 

... 

 

Bonnie lay awake in her bed for most of that night thinking about everything that had just happened, and about everything that was still ahead of her. She thought about the decisions she would have to make and the consequences she would have to live with.

She silently cursed herself for being so reckless. Sleeping with the parent of one of her students. It went against both her professional and her personal moral code. And she had done it anyway. She had been completely taken with Frank that night at Ferg’s, surprised by both his wit and his sense of humour, as well as his gentle nature and the love and dedication that he had for his niece. Bonnie found that, in getting to know Frank over the last few months, any pre-conceived notions she had had as a result of his gruff exterior had fallen away, and she had grown to care for him in a way she hadn't expected. And because of that, she had let herself do the one thing that she had explicitly promised herself she would not do. She had slept with Frank Adler. And now, she was dealing with the consequences.

She closed her eyes and pictured Frank in his apartment with Mary, the two of them just having gotten their lives back. She thought about having to tell him she was pregnant with his child, and turning both his and Mary’s life upside down. She imagined the many ways that that scenario could unfold. Would he be angry? Would he be indifferent? No, she didn't think that he would be either of those things. Frank was many things. He had a tendency to be guarded and reticent, but he was not a cold man. 

Bonnie thought about the life currently growing inside of her, and her hand unconsciously came to rest on her stomach. 

She had absolutely no idea what she was going to do. She could decide to get rid of it. No one but her and Carly would ever have to know anything about it. She let that thought pass.

She could keep it, and raise it on her own the way her mother had raised her. It would be difficult, but not impossible. 

Bonnie knew one thing for certain; whether or not she deiced to continue with this pregnancy, she had to tell Frank. Either way, he had a right to know. 

After laying in the dark for hours, contemplating her options, Bonnie remained undecided on whether or not she wanted to continue with the pregnancy. But she did know one thing. She had to tell Frank. Maybe then, she would have a clearer picture of what she wanted to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll update as soon as I can!
> 
>  
> 
> Side Note: Photo credit to thnkfilm on Tumblr :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the third chapter! This chapter touches on a conversation shared between Bonnie and Frank in one of the deleted scenes of the movie. If you haven't already seen it, I suggest watching it. It's a great scene. 
> 
> I hope you guys like this chapter!

                                                       

 

 

  **Chapter 3**

 

 

Frank Adler took another drink of the already warm beer in front of him. The familiar music and noisy chatter of Ferg’s wrapped around his head, and he closed his eyes as he tried to remember why he had decided to come here tonight.

It was the second Friday since he had gotten Mary back, and he had dropped her off at Roberta’s only an hour earlier. 

He took another sip of his beer, letting his eyes drift towards the entrance of the crowded bar, his attention coming to rest on a young woman who’s back was to him. Her slight frame and familiar black curls made him do a double take, and he felt the pace of his heart quicken as he waited for her to turn. He was left feeling deflated as the young woman’s eyes met his, and he was surprised by the sudden wave of disappointment that he felt. The woman was attractive, but she was not who he had thought she was. 

He drank what was left of his beer, paid his tab, and made his way out of the bar and into the night. 

Frank walked along the edge of the road, his mind drifting between Mary and another woman that he couldn't seem to get off his mind. Bonnie Stevenson had been popping into Frank’s mind more and more frequently over the last few months. What had started off as just another fling had slowly developed into a friendship that had surprised Frank greatly. Bonnie was funny, and kind, and surprising, and Frank had found that he not only enjoyed having her around, but he missed her when she wasn't there. 

Bonnie had come into his life at both the worst and best possible time, and because of this, their relationship had begun and ended before he even realized what was happening. He thought back to that night in the dockyard when he had poured his heart out to Bonnie while simultaneously shoving her out of his life. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, willing the memory to pass. He had acted like a child. He had spoken to her like someone whose friendship had meant nothing to him. And still, she had set that aside and offered him compassion and support when no one else had been willing to. 

Frank maintained his pace while walking along the edge of the road as the trailer park came into view. All of the lights were off, save for a few apartments, and the moon hung high above him in the sky, casting a silvery glow across the road. He looked towards Roberta’s apartment, which was in darkness, and he continued walking towards his own apartment.

Once inside, he closed the door behind him, settings his keys on the entry table. He stood there for a moment in the entry way, the silence of his apartment was almost deafening. Suddenly, he felt something brush against his leg and he looked down to see Fred staring up at him. 

“Hey Fred.” Frank greeted, bending down to give the tabby cat a scratch behind the ear. Fred began to purr, and moved towards Mary’s room where he would undoubtedly spend the rest of the night. 

Frank walked towards him room, unbuttoning his shirt as he moved, and when he finally reached his bed, he let himself fall backwards onto it. He reached down to remove his belt and his jeans, letting them fall to the floor. Once he was free of his clothing and only his boxers remained, he let himself relax into the mattress beneath him. He didn't bother covering himself with his blanket. The early September air was still warm, and the room was hot even with the slight breeze that was coming through the window. 

As he lay in bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, the streetlight outside casting a soft yellow glow across his room, Frank realized why he had decided to go to Ferg’s tonight. He had gone on the off chance that he would run into Bonnie. He squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers as the reality of this sudden realization came crashing down around him. 

Bonnie.

“Fuck.” He whispered into the darkness. 


	4. Chapter 4

                                                             

                                              

 

 

**Chapter 4**

 

Bonnie rolled over in her bed, the early morning sun streaming through her window causing her to clap a hand over her still tired eyes. She had somehow managed to drift off to sleep during the internal debate she had been having with herself all night long. 

Before she could even fully wake, she was hit with an all too familiar wave of nausea. She moaned out in frustration, peeling herself from the warmth of her bed, and sprinted to the bathroom before her stomach had a chance to empty itself. She wondered how long she would have to deal with this morning sickness. Maybe not much longer, if she decided not to continue with the pregnancy. Her body heaved involuntarily, bringing up next to nothing, and she remained planted on the cool floor for a moment until she was sure her stomach was settled. 

Thankfully it was Saturday, which meant no school and no Girl Scout meetings. Just an entire day to herself to ruminate on the fact that she was pregnant with Frank’s baby, and she still had absolutely no idea what she was going to do, or how she was going to tell him. 

An hour went by, and then another, and another, and before Bonnie knew it, it was 10:00 in the evening. Bonnie was curled up on the couch, still in her pyjamas, when she heard the apartment door open. Carly stopped at the entrance to the living room, leaning against the door frame as she let her eyes fall on Bonnies crumpled frame curled up on the sofa. 

"How did it go?" Carly asked, referring to the conversation Bonnie had planned on having with Frank. 

"I didn't do it." Bonnie mumbled against the sofa pillow. Carly let out a sympathetic sigh, and moved to sit next to her friend. She reached a hand towards Bonnies face and combed her fingers through her friends hair. 

"You've gotta do it at some point, hun. Putting it off isn't gonna make it any easier." 

"I know." Bonnie said, her eyes beginning to water. "Tomorrow. I'll tell him tomorrow."

 

...

 

A week passed, and Bonnie still hadn't mustered enough courage to tell Frank about the pregnancy. She had nearly called him at least a dozen times, and on Wednesday she had even decided to walk to his trailer park to tell him, only to decide that she couldn't do it once she was half way there.

It was now Friday, and Bonnie resolved that today was the day. Today was going to be the day that she was going to tell Frank. She had already booked an appointment with her gynaecologist for Monday to confirm what she already knew, and she told herself that she had to tell Frank before then. 

She spent the day teaching in a fog, her mind preoccupied with her plans later that evening. 

She spent a good hour pacing back and forth across her apartment after she got home from work, and another hour after that sitting in front of the TV mindlessly watching re-runs of Who's the Boss.

At half past nine, Carly walked through the front door, her eyes coming to rest on Bonnies anxious frame perched on the sofa. Carly gave her friend a sympathetic smile. “Tonight's as good a night as any.” Carly said, her voice soft. She had seen the turmoil that Bonnie had been struggling with over the last week, and felt a pang of sympathy for her friend. 

Bonnie looked up at Carly, her heart pounding, and gave her fiends and determined nod. Bonnie stood, moving towards her friend, and wrapped her arms around her. Carly mirrored her friends movements, wrapping Bonnie up in a tight embrace. 

“You're gonna be fine,” Carly said, moving to look Bonnie in the eyes. “Its gonna be fine.”

Bonnie gave her friend a nervous smile, and moved to grab her jacket. 

“Better to just rip the band-aid off.” Bonnie said. The two friends exchanged one final look before Bonnie exited the apartment and closed the door behind her. 

 

... 

 

The dockyard was empty, the only light was the one coming from the opened door of Frank’s workshop. Bonnie stopped for a moment to steel herself. She took a deep breath willing her feet to continue moving along the boardwalk. As she got closer to Franks workshop, his shifting figure came into view. He had his head down, a large metal object resting between his two grease covered hands. Bonnie continued walking towards the opened shop door, her eyes never leaving Frank. He didn't notice her at first, but as she moved to stand just outside of the door, his eyes lifted and found hers. 

They were both quiet for a moment, neither of them speaking, and at first Bonnie couldn't read Franks expression. The last time she had been here, he had very clearly told her that he didn't want her around. Franks eyes softened as he looked at her, his mouth pulling into a small smile. 

“Hey," he said, his eyes never leaving her face.

“Hi.” Bonnie managed to squeak out, her voice sounded much smaller than she had intended it to. 

Another beat of silence filled the air, neither of them knowing what to say. 

“What’ve you got there?” Bonnie finally managed, her eyes moving from Franks face to the metal object in his hands. 

“Oh, uh. It's, uh..” He laughed, looking down at the object in his hands, seemingly caught off guard by the question. “It’s a gearbox.” He said, pointing towards a boat that was docked right in front of the workshop. “Kind of important if you want the boat to run.” He laughed softly.

“Probably best that it gets fixed then.” Bonnie said, closing her eyes and sighing to herself. Frank laughed, setting the gearbox down and wiping his hands together in a fruitless attempt at removing the oil from them. 

Their eyes met again, neither of them knowing what to say. 

“I’m actually glad...”

“There’s something I have to...”

They both spoke at the same time, earning an uncomfortable chuckle from both of them. 

“Sorry.” Bonnie laughed. “You go ahead.” she said, gesturing towards Frank for him to continue speaking. She wasn't sure if she was ready to say what she had come here to say, and she figured she could use another moment to work up her nerve.

Frank laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, a sheepish grin on his face. “I was just gonna say, I’m glad you're here.” 

“Yeah?” Bonnie said, sounding as surprised as she felt.

“Yeah.” Frank continued. “I owe you... I owe you an apology.” 

Bonnie stood in stunned silence. She wasn't sure what she had expected from tonight, but this had not been it. 

Frank continued. “The last time we spoke, I was an ass.” he said, an embarrassed laugh escaping him. “I shouldn't have said the things that I said to you. I was out of line. I was angry about Mary, and I took it out on you. You were a good friend to me Bonnie, and I can't say the same for myself.”

Bonnie didn't know what to say. She understood that Frank had been dealing with a lot when he had said all of those things to her, and she had tried to not take any of it to heart. Though that didn't mean it had hurt her any less.

"Frank, it's really... It's alright." 

"No it's not." He said, his face furrowing into a look of embarrassment and regret. "And I'm sorry."

Bonnie met his eyes, her face pulling into a soft smile. She wasn't sure what to say. "Thank you." was all she was able to get out. She let her eyes drift across Frank's face, his deep set blue eyes sparkling under the fluorescent lighting of the workshop, and she had to look away from him to remind herself why she had come here tonight. 

They were both quiet for a minute, the sound of the water lapping against the dock was the only noise that filled the silence. 

"Anyways," Frank said smiling, a nervous laugh escaping him. "You came here to tell me something? Is it Mary? Is everything alright at school?" His expression shifted into one of concern. "She didn't yell at the principal again, did she?" That made Bonnie laugh, and the tension seemed to dissipate somewhat. 

“No, no. Mary's fine. Better than fine, actually. She's doing great." Bonnie took a deep breath before she continued. "I actually do have something that I have to tell you.” She could feel the heat beginning to rise to her cheeks, the pace of her heart quickening as she prepared to say what she had been planning on saying for over a week. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I'm just gonna say it. I’m pregnant.” 

She looked at Frank, his face expressionless at first, and then a look of confusion spread across his features. Bonnie waited silently for her words to fully sink in. 

“You're...” was all Frank was able to get out. 

“Pregnant" Bonnie finished for him. "Yeah, turns out that sex can sometimes lead to pregnancy.” There was silence. Bonnie closed her eyes, and silently reprimanded herself. “I’m sorry, I don't know why I said that. I’m really nervous, and I’ve been kind of freaking out about telling you this.”

Frank was silent for a moment, his eyes never leaving Bonnie's face. "Is it, uh..."

Bonnie didn't have to hear the rest of his question to understand what he was asking. "It's yours." She said, feeling embarrassed and slightly offended. 

Frank was quiet for another moment. He moved a hand through his hair, taking a deep breath as he moved towards Bonnie.

“How far along?" He managed to ask.

“Well, we slept together, what, about three months ago? So I'd say I'm about three months along.” she said, attempting to infuse some humour into this otherwise incredibly uncomfortable conversation. 

Frank closed his eyes, moving his hand to his forehead and massaging it with his fingers. He returned his gaze to Bonnie, and she didn't miss the way his eyes drifted from her face to her still flat stomach. 

"Do you... Have you decided what you're going to do?" He asked, his voice cracking a little as he spoke. "Not that I, you know, not that I'm trying to put this all on you. That came out wrong."

"No, it's ok." Bonnie laughed nervously. "I get it Frank."

"It's your body, ya know. Shit." Frank rubbed his hands over his face before staring into Bonnie's eyes. "What I'm trying to say is, I'll respect whatever decision you make."

Bonnie kept her eyes on Franks, the tension in her shoulders dissipating a bit. 

"If you decide to... terminate, I'll respect your choice. And if you decide to keep it, I'll support you fully in that as well."

Bonnie was quiet for a moment as she let Frank's words sink in. "Thank you, Frank." She said, her voice cracking slightly. She felt her eyes beginning to water, and she had to force herself not to cry. Frank must have noticed, because he moved closer to her until he was standing right in front of her. She looked up at him, his face was furrowed in concern, and she wondered why she had waited so long to tell him. They looked into each others eyes neither of them speaking. It was Bonnie who broke the silence. 

"I have a doctors appointment on Monday." She said, letting her eyes roam across the workshop as she spoke. "Uh, just to confirm that I am in fact... pregnant." She said the last word slowly, the sound of it still foreign on her tongue.

"Okay." Frank said, his head nodding slightly as he listened. "I can come with you. I can ask Roberta to pick Mary up after school."

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Frank."

"No, I... I want to. I want to be there. You know, this is..." He unconsciously gestured towards her stomach. "This is my responsibility, too. I'm not gonna make you go there alone."

Bonnie looked at him, and couldn't help the few tears that fell down her cheeks. Frank's hand jerked slightly as though he was about to wipe them away, but he thought better of it. Bonnie wiped her face with the back of her hand. She looked at Frank, his brow furrowing in concern, his blue eyes boring into hers. "Thank you, Frank." was all she was able to get out. 

"Of course." He said softly, his face pulling into a worried smile. They stayed like that for a minute, only feet apart, their eyes locked on each other.

"I should go." Bonnie finally said, gesturing towards the boardwalk outside.

"Okay." Frank said. "Do you need a drive home? I'm pretty much done here for the night anyways." 

"No, no. That's alright. I'm just gonna walk. Clear my head a little." 

Frank nodded, his eyes still searching Bonnie's face. Bonnie felt the urge to move towards him. To wrap her arms around him and burry her face in his chest, but she composed herself and pushed that thought out of her mind. Were her hormones already turning on her? First she had cried in front of him, and now she was contemplating wrapping her body around his. _Jesus Bonnie_ , she thought to herself, _get a hold of yourself_. 

"Goodnight, Frank." She said before turning to walk back out into the warm September night. 

"Goodnight, Bonnie." She heard him call after her softly. 

She looked back for a moment to see Franks tall frame illuminated by the yellow light of the workshop, his eyes still on her as she walked away from him. She had done it. She had ripped the band-aid off, and it hadn't been as terrible as she had anticipated.

Now she just had to decide what the hell she was going to do. 


End file.
